Natasha Newsome Drennan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein)

On Saturday, we mark International Women's Day. We celebrate the resilience, strength and the invaluable contributions women make every day in Irish society but we must also confront the inequalities that persist in our society. I raise in particular the immense role women across Ireland contribute as carers for those in need. We all recognise that carers are the backbone and support for so many in need in communities across Ireland. We must recognise and acknowledge, however, it is women who form the majority of carers across Ireland. We are more likely to be primary care givers and spend significantly more hours each week in unpaid roles. Women carers are also more than likely to live in lone parent households, struggling financially, all while balancing care with employment.

Tragically, since the Covid pandemic, isolation has deepened and women report higher levels of severe loneliness. These findings are not just statistics; they are the lived experience of female carers across Ireland. These women sacrifice careers, economic security and well-being to care for loved ones. This toll is immense. Financially, they depend on partners due to the outdated and harsh means test for carers allowance, they see reduced workforce participation and the erosion of their social lives. This is not a choice but a societal expectation that entrenches gender inequality. It is time for Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael to stop paying lip service to carers.

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